


A Tale of Times

by DoctorV



Series: Archive: Doc's Old-Ass Comics Fic (DC, JLU, etc.) [25]
Category: Blue Beetle (Comics), Booster Gold (Comics), DCU, DCU - Comicverse, Justice League, Justice League International (Comic)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Banter, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Implied Past Murder, M/M, Makeouts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-12-12
Updated: 2005-12-12
Packaged: 2019-04-04 04:22:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14012094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DoctorV/pseuds/DoctorV
Summary: Once upon a time, Ted Kord was raised by his Uncle Jarvis after his parents died in a mysterious accident.





	A Tale of Times

**Author's Note:**

> Archiving some old old OLD fanfic of mine. This was originally posted to LiveJournal 12/12/2005, with the author's note:  
> "So I was looking at the prompt and got it into my head that Booster and Beetle as enemies would be a neat concept to explore. Then I wondered how that could happen, and...actually, now that I think of it, Booster probably would've been the more logical choice for villain. I mean, I've already successfully gone that route before. ....Why the hell did I make Beetle the villain?  
> Oh well! It's done and I did. Uncle Jarvis was a bad influence. AU, obviously. Have at!"
> 
> Added to Ao3 (but backdated): 04/15/2018

Once upon a time there was a clever young inventor named Ted. Ted's parents died in a mysterious accident, so his Uncle Jarvis took him in and taught him everything he knew.

 

Ted helped his Uncle Jarvis build an army of androids to take over the world, because the world was being run by idiots and it was about time someone intelligent took charge. But somehow a small-minded conformist named Blue Beetle found out about their plan and attacked Ted and Uncle Jarvis. Blue Beetle was eventually killed in the battle, but unfortunately so was Uncle Jarvis. Ted vowed to honor his Uncle Jarvis by continuing his struggle against the collective idiots of the world.

 

Ted took the Blue Beetle's name in his quest for world domination so that whenever anyone thought of the Blue Beetle, they would think not of the "hero" but the "villain."

 

Ted thought that was a fitting poetic justice kind of revenge.

 

* * *

 

Once upon a distant future there was a daring young football star named Michael Carter. Michael had a run of bad luck that ended his football career, so he got a job guarding the memorabilia of heroes of the past.

 

As a museum security guard, Michael made friends with a security robot named Skeets and together they collected some of the items they were guarding and took them on a journey into the past. There, Michael became the superhero and corporate crusader known as Booster Gold. Skeets was his sidekick.

 

One day he accidentally teamed up with a crazy, faceless vigilante named the Question. They fought a villain named Blue Beetle, who Booster could have sworn, from what he remembered from the future, was supposed to be a good guy.

 

Afterward, Booster couldn't get the Blue Beetle's laughter out of his head. And for some reason he kept dwelling on how flexible he'd seemed while they were fighting.

 

* * *

 

Once upon a different time, Blue Beetle and Booster Gold met again. They fought, they bantered, and in the end there was no clear winner.

 

Though they did unofficially decide to be arch-enemies. Neither had one yet and it seemed to be in style.

 

* * *

 

Once upon a dark and stormy night, Booster discovered Beetle plotting to take over the world using a powerful EMP generator and a top secret satellite he hijacked from Batman. (Batman was still trying to explain that to a cranky Superman and Wonder Woman, as far as he knew.)

 

"You're a smart guy, why are you doing this?" Booster demanded as he pinned Beetle to a wall.

 

Undulating slightly to brace himself against the wall, Beetle wrapped his legs around Booster's waist and pulled him in tight against his body. " _Because_ I'm a smart guy," he said, grinning.

 

"That...doesn't make sense...." Booster muttered, trailing off as his mind gave up on sense in favor of cataloging every flex of hard muscle pressing against him.

 

"It makes sense to me," Beetle said, cocking his head a little. "Why'd you come to the past and become a 'hero'?"

 

"I can hear you putting quote marks around that."

 

Beetle just smirked.

 

"I came...here because my life sucked and I...thought I could make money as a hero."

 

"God bless the endurance of capitalism," Beetle murmured. "So did you?"

 

"Did I...?"

 

"Make money as a superhero."

 

"...Sort of."

 

"And then you lost it all," Beetle filled in easily, as if knowing the financial history of his arch-enemy was old news. "So why are you still a hero? What makes you get up every morning, put on your shiny hero suit, and fight for the forces of conformity?"

 

"That's really getting old, Beetle."

 

"I do it to annoy you. Answer the question."

 

"I... Because...."

 

"It makes sense to you?"

 

"Yes! Wait—dammit."

 

Beetle tightened his legs and leaned his head forward. Mesmerized by the push and flex of the man's body, Booster didn't bother trying to stop him.

 

"Booster?" Beetle murmured, breath brushing against Booster's cheek.

 

"Huh?"

 

"Is Wonder Woman as hot in person as she is on TV?"

 

"Ye—Wait, what?" Booster's eyes darted from Beetle's lips to his goggles, confusion seeping across his face.

 

"Diversionary tactic."

 

"Di— _nnh_?" Booster found himself unable to speak. There was a tongue in the way. And lips. And arms around his neck, which wasn't actually preventing him from speaking but it certainly was distracting.

 

As was Beetle's foot sliding down to stroke the back of his thigh.

 

That had to be just wrecking the man's balance, so Booster did the noble thing and pressed Beetle back against the wall, cupping his ass with both hands. Beetle groaned his appreciation and, one hand buried in Booster's hair, returned the favor by tilting Booster's head to deepen the kiss.

 

"Epsilon threat level my ass," Beetle muttered against Booster's lips.

 

"Huh?"

 

"Program flaw."

 

"Program.... The satellite!" Booster jerked his head back, though he left his hands where they were.

 

Beetle smirked. "I haven't managed to hack the Watchtower security cameras yet. Was Batman angry?"

 

"...Yeah," Booster admitted slowly.

 

"Good. He's a dick."

 

A smile crept across Booster's face. "Last I heard, he was trying to explain himself to Superman and Wonder Woman."

 

Beetle grinned. "I have _got_ to get ahold of that footage."

 

"I have to bring you in, you know," Booster said reluctantly.

 

"What if I apologize and promise to change my ways?"

 

"Would you?"

 

"Change my ways?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Long enough to lull you into a false sense of security maybe."

 

Booster sighed. Then he squeezed, causing Beetle gasp in surprise and arch his back, shivering.

 

"Or I could give you fair warning when I decide to go back to my evil ways?"

 

Booster thought it over for a moment, then leaned forward to brush his lips against Beetle's. "That could work."

 

"I'm keeping the satellite," Beetle informed him.

 

Booster shrugged. "Keep it. Batman's a dick. I trust you with it more than him."

 

Snorting, Beetle said, "Flattery will get you everywhere."

 

Booster smirked and leaned in again. "I hope so."

 

Once upon a time, Booster and Beetle lived happily ever after.


End file.
